When implementing extinction, what must the caregiver or therapist do?

In the context of extinction, the primary objective is to reduce or eliminate an undesired behavior by withholding reinforcement that previously maintained the behavior. By ignoring the undesired behavior, the caregiver or therapist effectively removes the reinforcement that might be encouraging it.

For instance, if a child is throwing a tantrum to gain attention, and the caregiver stops responding to the tantrum, the child learns that this behavior no longer leads to the desired outcome of getting attention. Over time, by continuously ignoring the undesired behavior, the behavior is expected to decrease.

This approach relies on the understanding that behaviors often persist because they serve a function or lead to a specific outcome. By not responding to the behavior, the function of the behavior can be lessened, leading to a decrease in its occurrence. Hence, ignoring the undesired behavior is a critical step in effectively implementing extinction within the framework of ABA therapy.